1st Gen. Lunch Table - General Discussion

One of the park employees had a 1GT

 

Grey DC is @Mohoman
The honorary 1GT is @SAGE63
I took that pic from my driver seat

 

Looks like a good time!

 

We had a blast. I'm hoping the other guys got some good pics.

 

No I meant what state were you in?

 

https://merusadventure.com





@FrenchToasty The golden spoon errr scoop.



How am I stacking up against your rocket brew?

 

I was actually convinced it was too pretty to be Texas. Looks like a nice spot.

 

Hopefully you use at least 5 scoops? I usually do about 55grams per 32oz French press

 

Thats a strong cuppa!

Two heaping scoops or 30ish grams per 32oz press. I've been drinking 64oz most mornings so maybe ill give the 2x strength a shot and only drink 32oz.

 

But it wasn’t my fault…

 

I’m looking at getting suspension and tires between now and Christmas. Are there any sites that run decent sales this time of year that y’all have seen in the past? I’m looking at purchasing from Wheelers, JBA, maybe some small stuff from other vendors. Wheelers has a 25% off right now but I’m doubting that applies to the bilsteins I’m getting from them.

Loving all the MERUS pics.

 

Black Friday coming up.

 

I still haven’t unpacked from the trip I never took

 

Pm @memario1214 with hot shot off road, what you want.

 

Seconded. Good vendor, solid dude, no BS.

 

So.... I think we are close in age. I entered the workforce at age 16 making minimum wage as a part-time pizza cutter at Round Table pizza, which at the time was $3.35/hr. I remember this because it went up to $3.65/hr within a week of me starting and I thought I hit pay dirt. If what you are saying is true (highlighted in bold), then I should have been able to fully support myself on my $3.65/hr wage (working full-time); which equates to about $150/week, $7,800/yr, or $650/month (pre-tax). In other words, according to you, I would have been able fully support myself on just over $500/month. This is NOT true... Rent at the time on a small apartment was about $300/month, plus utilities, plus food, plus gas, plus vehicle maintenance, etc.... Wasn't doable back then; isn't doable now Minimum wage jobs are a starting point for people entering the workforce; they are not meant to be a life goal and a means for fully supporting yourself or your family.

Now, back to my feeling of 'striking pay dirt' w/my immediate .30/hr raise... that lasted for about 2-weeks; or long enough for me to recieve my first check and realize the bottom line on minimum wage work SUCKS. So, I immediate made a quick assesment of myself and what was out there to figure how to make more money. Because, at 16, the most important thing to me was having a car (it was 'status' and a means for taking girls on dates), and that wasn't going to happen on about $60/week working part time.

I only worked that job for about 4-5 weeks, as I landed a job doing retail automotive sales (tires, batteries, wheels, and other parts). It was comission based, and I made about $14-$15/hr because I enjoyed helping people do cool shit to their cars, and I was fairly good and unafraid of talking with (encouraging) people to spend their $$$.

But, here is my point... When I was working that minimum wage job, I maintained the good work ethic that I was taught by my parents. I showed up to work on time (usually early), I was never the first to leave, I worked hard, I didn't call in sick or no-show (ever); yes I know it's a very small window of time being there, but I maintained MY work ethic and held my personal character to high standards. Regardless of where I was working at or what I was getting paid, I was working for and representing myself; no one else!!! For me at least, here's how it mattered...

I knew I would have a hard time landing a part-time job, making pretty good money, with no prior sales experience and very limited hours of availability. I was still in HS, so we were only allowed to work a few hours after school and weekends. So, I went to my Round Table manager, explained that I was grateful for the opportunity to work there, but I would like to do something different. I told him about the job I was looking at, and he agreed I would probably be really good at it. I asked him to write a short letter of recommendation for me (my father had suggested this), and the manager agreed to do this for me. I'm not sure why, but I'd have to assume it was based on my work ethic, work place behavior, and my personal character traits that were displayed while working for him.

In the end, I carried that letter of recommendation into my interview and personally handed it to my interviewer. I left the interview w/the new job. Couldn't tell you if the letter made a difference or not, but I have to assume it did. Within another year, a Service Advisor position opened up within the same establishment, and I was able to successfully secure that position. That position was commission also, and most of us made around $20-$23/hr... long term guys that had been there for a while and had a huge client base were making around $50-$60k/yr full time.

Within a year of starting in the workforce, I was making 5-6 times minimum wage; which would have allowed me to fully support myself had I decided to remain in that industry...

When I left that business several years later, it was for a job in a career field that I had decided on spending most of my adult life doing. I started that job at $9.65/hr (full-time), making less than 1/2 of what I was making when I was 17... But, there was a strategy to it, and it was a path I had to take to get to where I wanted to be. Once again, I could no longer afford to pay for rent, insurance, fuel, food, etc. without living w/a roommate. So, that's the way it was for a few years. Within about 4 years of that I was back to making 'decent' money again (depending on your standards), and eventually was able to retire w/a six-figure pension before the age of 50; that will continue to pay for the remainder of my life and then continue for the life of my spouse.

I'm not trying to brag or say that I'm better than anyone else. I'm not rich and never will be. But, my family and I are comfortable now, and that was my goal; to have the freedom to CHOOSE whether or not to continue working for extra $$$ or to have something to do...

The ability to do this came with some sacrifice early on. I knew that I would not be able to follow my career path if I had a prior criminal record or a record of using illicit drugs, etc... So, when my friends from school hit an age where it was time to start partying and doing stupid shit, I often times had to step away. It cost me relationships, and it cost me friendships... but in the end, I was able to do something that afforded me an exciting career doing some cool shit and retire at a reasonably young age. @shifty` I know you remember back when we were younger there was a push or a sales pitch on many of the infomercials on TV and such that talked about getting involved in this or that to become 'financially independent' (amway and some other BS comes to mind)... anyhow, iirc being financially independent meant not relying on working for a paycheck as a means to support yourself and your family, or in other words money would continue to come in regardless of what you did that day = FREEDOM!!!

Now some folks complain that they are stuck in minimum wage jobs; they say they can't get out of them or find better work... that's really B.S. Good jobs are out there, folks just need to look for them, set themselves up to be successful candidates, apply and then put some work in climbing through the opportunities. If they choose to not pursue something better, then that's on them; if they've done shit in their past that's preventing them from being able to secure various jobs, then that's on them and their choices in life; etc...

I live in a community of about 10k people. I just clicked on the City's HR page, and County's HR page... between those 2 entities, there are over 50 (yes, I counted them) jobs avaialble... Some are a bit over minimum wage; some are making very good money and require degrees or tenure/experience, but more than half of those jobs pay a 'livable wage', yet every day you hear folks talk about those kind of jobs not being available... The path is not always immediate, and it may come w/restrictions or hardships, but there is always a path that is better than what someone is on if they are unhappy with life.

It harms a person to tell them that it's okay to relinquish their own character and work ethic because they believe or feel like their situation is unfair or that they are not getting what they are entitled to. We need encourage folks to find motivation to be successful by whatever defines success to that particular person and to offer to help them be successful through proper mentoring, training and like you said, 'by not being afraid of having your successor be better than you'...

Yes, there are plenty of older folks that are a little fucked up and fear being replaced by someone they've trained or someone that may be better, so they withhold information/training thinking it keeps them relevant. But, the way to stay relevant and in demand is to stay up on one's industry and one's personal performance to be at the top of your game.

During assessment for the last 'job assignment' I put in for, I remember being asked during the interview about my preparation. I remember talking about some the 'direct' preparation I was doing with a small team of guys who were also going through assessment as well for the same assignment. The interviewers specifically asked me to confirm that I was studying and training w/people I was competing against, and I said, 'yes... they were all close friends who have put in good work for/with me in the past, and I have no problem helping them reach their career goals. If that's at my own expense in being selected, so be it... But, I know the work I put into my own direct and in-direct preparation for this assignment, and I doubt anyone assessing has done more or is more qualified. Plus, I learn by helping them, and it pushes me to work harder in my prep because I know they are putting in good work in their own preparation. Helping them forces me to be more competitive; it makes me work harder.. which in the end, gives you (the team) a better product and more people of quality to choose from.... Win/win!!!!

Sorry for the soap box, but I think it's important for people to believe in themselves and work hard and maintain good character and personal ethics and values regardless of the compensation they are receiving, but that's me...

 

Texas. Merus outside Amarillo. The one I tried to get you to attend.

 

It was too much fun. Time flew and I didn't want to go yet haha

 

Yup. Solo LCAs and uniball lowers better go on sale. Ooh and those cool off-road alignment cams; the greasable ones. And the poly steering rack bushing with billet mount

 

Sid's official honorary first gen award for being the only out-of-stater and the only second gen who would come play with the first gen TX boys at Merus (and for putting up with our razzing).

 

Looks like you were about to go ass over apple cart (is that just a northern saying?) in that last Pic
Looks like yall had fun out there Thanks for sharing the pics with us.

 

I just say ass over tits. That's my safety walk. My gf thought it was funny enough to get a pic so I figured I'd throw it in as an "outtake".

 

The fleet is reassembled until the next catastrophe.

 

I said and heard 'ass over tea kettle', but 'ass over apple cart' is funnier than shit

 

Hey, has anyone seen @Aerindel lately? Know if dude is alright?

 

I Think this was the worst anyone broke all weekend. No big loss as the tail lamps were already trash. Looking forward to continuing the build and applying the things I learned this weekend.

We stacked a pile of rocks in the worst section after I went through and everyone else breezed through this obstacle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFKKT0oan48

@Mohoman "Damn, this is supposed to be green huh?"

 

You're really gonna get your money's worth out of that car.